Employee Relations Report: Mark and Spencer, Conflict Resolution

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of employee relations within the context of a retail organization, specifically referencing Mark and Spencer. It begins by exploring the unitary and pluralistic frames of reference in employee relations, discussing the impact of trade unions and the roles of key players such as employers, employees, and government bodies. The report then delves into conflict resolution procedures, emphasizing the importance of understanding situations, patience, and communication. Key features of employee relations in conflict situations, including ideological frameworks, cooperation, consultation, and negotiation are examined. Furthermore, the report explains the role of negotiation in collective bargaining and analyzes different negotiation strategies. Finally, the report assesses the influence of the EU on industrial democracy in the UK, explores methods for employee participation, and evaluates the impact of human resource management approaches on employee relations.

EMPLOYEE RELATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK1.............................................................................................................................................1
1.1The unitary and pluralistic frames of reference.....................................................................1
1.2 Trade union has affected employee relations........................................................................2
1.3 Role of main players in employee relations..........................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1Procedures an organisation should follow when dealing with different conflict situation....4
2.2 Key feature of employee relation with reference to this conflict situation..........................5
2.3 Effectiveness of the procedures followed in resolving this conflict.....................................6
TASK3 ............................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Explain the role of negotiation in collective bargaining.......................................................6
3.2 Negotiation strategies and their impact.................................................................................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
4.1 Assess the influence of the EU on industrial democracy in the UK.....................................8
4.2 Methods to gain employee participation and involvement in decision making process.......9
4.3 Impact human resource management approach has on employee relation.........................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In every organisation, it is necessary to maintain the relationship between an employer
and employee this helps for attain huge profitability and productivity in near future. Regulatory
body has right to made various policies and procedures that helps for attain company growth.
Every business enterprise need human resource department that helps for solving conflicts or any
grievances that exist in working environment. If employer and employee mainly works for
maintain their relationship than it lead to development of good working relations in company
background. Employee relation also works for involvement within activities of organisation.
They also right to take part in decision making process. Mark and Spencer is one of the largest
international retailer that are operated in UK. They mainly works for produce clothing, home
products and organics food products. The main aim of company is to provide better products and
services to its large number of target customers. Unitary and pluralist frames of organisation are
elaborated in this project. This report also discuss about the bargaining collective procedure and
EU democracy in united kingdom. Company use various employment involvement techniques
that affect working of human resource management.
TASK1
1.1The unitary and pluralistic frames of reference
Unitary frames: This is based on one assumption like one happy family. It involve
attitudes, beliefs, behaviour that helps for maintain employers and employee relationship.
Organisation made goals and objectives that are matched with its workers personnel targets, so it
helps to attain maximum profitability and goodwill in ling run. Top level of manager has take
responsibility to maintain healthy relationship with its workers and subordinates. Employer made
positive working environment in organisation so worker feels comfortable top largely participate
in decision making process. They have right to share their idea and thoughts in front of mangers
so it helps to increase its motivation level. If both employers and employee has work for same
goals and objectives ten the chances of any disputes is not possible. Company has much focus
for delegation system, through this factor, it is easily t mange the worker relationship. Mark and
Spencer has appoint leader that helps to motivate its workers in order to attain goals and
objectives of company.
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Pluralistic frame: Every company need to made groups and sub groups. Each department made
its own leader that helps for attain goals and targets within a short duration of time. Basically,
there are two subgroups one is management and other is trade union. Management has take
responsibility to control and monitor its worker performance whereas trade union is membership
based organisation, this mainly focus to protect the interest of its member and provide equal
facilities to all workers in term of insurance, medical facility, retirement benefits and other
perquisites. The main aim of this trade union is that to create the positive working environment
to its member that helps to attain mutual goals and objectives in given time duration. Mark and
Spencer has worked under pluralism factor, this method helps to increase the skill and
knowledge of workers for accomplish goals and objective in given time duration. Trade union
has right to put all problems and disputes in front of top level management.
1.2 Trade union has affected employee relations
Trade union is member based organisation where they have right to protect interest of
worker and provide various facilities to their large number of workers in term of medical facility,
retirement benefits and other perquisite. Today most of organisation are used trade union
concept, through this unions, workers can easily convey their ideas and messages to this
employer. Trade union has take responsibility to conduct training and development programme
in organisation that helps to increase knowledge and skill competency of workers and this way
they make better productivity and profitability in respect of organisation growth and success in
near future. They are right to make decision relate to company working hour, salary and wages
structure, that can largely influence motivation and potential level of worker. So they were doing
strikes, lockouts in various location of country, this can adverse affect the employment
relationship. It is necessary for company to open human resource department in their business
enterprise this helps for resolve various grievances and disputed that exist in working
environment.
Employee is most valuable asset in every organisation, without this factor enterprise has
not able to earn profitability and productivity in long run. Trade union is largest member group
that helps for develop and improve economic condition of country. They are able to maintain
strong relationship with society and their target customers. These unions has right to take part in
domestic as well as international level and raise any issues relate to labour working procedure,
facility etc. They have right to took matter in court. they also establish various employment
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welfare programme that helps to increase skill and knowledge of their workers. They learn
various learning methods in term of technology up gradation, new software etc. Trade union
mainly focus to maintain strong relationship with their member, so employee can give their full
effort in order to a achieve gaols and objectives of business enterprise.
1.3 Role of main players in employee relations
Organisation has right to maintain healthy relationship with its employees so this helps
for attain better productivity and profitability in long run. There are various main players that are
exist in workplace, these are as follows:
Employer: They play very important role for attain company growth and profitability. Employer
has responsibility to make salary and wages structure of worker who are working in their
organisation. They provide various perquisites facilities to their employees in term of retirement
benefits, medical facility, insurance etc. They also take part in decision making process relate to
company policies and procedures. They must solve various conflicts and disputes relate to
working hour and salary of workers that arise in organisation. Employers generate various
incentive and reward scheme to those worker who has give their best. This all perquisites help to
increase motivation level of large workforce. They also able to remove disputes and conflicts
that comes between manager and subordinates.
Employee: Worker is largest asset of every organisation. Without employees, company has nota
able to achieve productivity and profitability in long run (Mishra, Boynton and Mishra 2014.).
This affect their goodwill. Company made goals and objectives that matched with worker need
and wants. So they give their best effort and potential in order to attain company mission and
vision. Employee has not right to misuse any power which are provided by their employer.
Trade union: This is member based organisation where they help for worker to easily convey
their ideas and messages to employer. They also conduct training and development programme
so it help to increase skill competence and knowledge of workers. Employee has give their best
effort for attain goals and objectives of company. They haver right to made their own policies
and procedures which member has follows.
Employee association: They provide equal employment opportunities to their workers
irrespective of discrimination factor. Employee association has responsibility to conduct positive
working environment in their organisation this help for worker to give their best effort for
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accomplish goals and objectives. various issues which employer alone can not solved, so this
association helps to resolve this grievances that exist in organisation.
Government: It is necessary for company to adopt those policies and legislation that are
imposed by regulatory bodies. Government has right to maintain strong relationship with
organisation.
TASK 2
2.1Procedures an organisation should follow when dealing with different conflict situation
Mark and Spencer is one of largest international retailer that are located in united
kingdom. They produce and sell clothing , food products to their large number of target
customer. This company has used various methods to solve the conflict situation, these are as
follows:
Understand situation: Conflict is major problem that affect employer and employee
relationship. If company is make any decision fastly then they investigate various records that
workers has established, this helps for resolve conflict or disputes within organisation.
Be patience: It is important for organisation to evaluate and interpret the whole scenario with
due care and patience. Sometime company made quickly decision making, this will adverse
effect their productivity and profitability. So it is necessary for every organisation to work with
patiently and cal method.
Establish guidelines: Company has responsibility to mention their all rules and procedures to
worker so employee is familiar for their goals and objectives and give bes effort for make large
productivity and profitability in long run (Kim MacDuffie and Pil 2010).
Act decisively: It is responsibility of manager to collect various data and information from team
groups that helps for resolving conflicts that arise in organisation. Authority has not right to
delayed in their decision making process, this can affect company productivity.
Communication is key: Company made their positive working environment so worker can
easily communicated their ides and thoughts in front of top level management. Employees also
feel comfortable take part in conflict resolving process. Conflict generally arise in organisation
when two workers opinion are are not match with each other. Through communication process,
workers are easily understand the policies and procedures that company has formed and
according to this they have worked.
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2.2 Key feature of employee relation with reference to this conflict situation
Mark and Spencer has adopted various methods that helps to resolve disputes relating to
employ relationship, these are as follows:
Ideological framework: Conflict mainly arise in company when the opinion of one person are
different from another ideas. This makes contradiction for each other. In organisation, both
employers and employee has worker for accomplish their respective goals and objectives. The
main target of every employee is to develop and improve knowledge and skill competence while
employer main aim is to work for making large profits. Mostly disputed arise between employer
and employee relation is that worker consider that they are not getting sufficient salary according
to work done so this is major hindrance of organisation relationship on the other hand employer
think that they are paying more money to worker. They consider that they recruit best potential
individual from large number of perspective with low cost (Pelit Öztürk and Arslantürk 2011).
These factor arise the conflict situation in organisation (Morris 2012).
Cooperation: Employer has responsibility to make cooperation with their worker so this helps
for gain productivity and profitability of company. Through communication both employers and
employee has reach one final conclusion this helps to remove misunderstanding exist in their
relationship. They worked for gain mutual goals and objectives, so it can best fulfil organisation
targets and objectives.
Consultation: Employer has responsibility to listen ideas and thoughts of their respective
employer this help for reduce the conflict factor that exist in organisation. Through consultation,
employee has increase their skill and learning capability so it can give best effort for attain
productivity and profitability in near future. Mark and Spence worker mainly focus to identify
need and want of target customers so according to this preference they generate organic products
and services which are helpful for human health.
Negotiation: Company has worked under negotiation process, where they help various meetings
that helps for workers to understand business policies and procedure. Cited organisation pay
reasonable sum to their employee so it encourage their motivational level and they give their best
effort for achieve organisation productivity and profitability.
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2.3 Effectiveness of the procedures followed in resolving this conflict
In organisation, various employees are come from different culture, religion, case , creed
behaviours etc. So this is major factors that increase conflict in organisation. Worker are not
easily understand the behaviour of another so misunderstanding arise in workplace. Worker
performance capacity, productivity, interaction process, goals, objectives, core competencies,
expectations, these all factors has major impact organisation productivity and profitability. If any
misunderstanding exist in workplace that can impact the worker productivity. Employees re
distracted from this factor, so they are not able to give better performance in workplace. So
company has waste their time resource in resolve conflict procedure instead of attain goals and
objectives (Johnson and Yang 2010). Mark disputes has followed various procedures that helps
for resolve conflict, these are as follows:
 They provide sufficient salary and wages to large number of workers so it helps to
increase motivation level of employee.
 Company provide equal employment opportunities to their workers so chances of any
disputes is not possible in company working environment.
 Company has mainly focus to establish positive working environment so worker can feel
comfortable to produce products with full efficiency and capacity.
 Consultation factor also adopted company, this is best option for resolving any issue and
grievances. Employee has easily identified need and want of customer according to this
taste they manufacture products so it get more productivity and profitability in near
future.
 Cooperation is also most important option that largely work for resolving issue and
grievances that are prevail in company. Employers of this cited organisation has
responsibility to make cooperation with their worker, so employee can feel comfortable
to communicated their managers.
TASK3
3.1 Explain the role of negotiation in collective bargaining
Basically collective bargaining means to consider the policies and procedures of
organisation that describes the right and duties of employee and trade union. Trade union used
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the collective bargaining process that helps to generate wages and incentive schemes, holidays,
leaves relate to workers. Today company has no need to trade union because they establish
human resource department that helps for resolving all conflicts arise in organisation.
They also focus to maintain healthy relationship with their workers so it get maximum
productivity and profitability in long run. Mark and Spencer HR department also recruit various
qualified workers from large pool of perspectives so they produce better productivity and growth
in long run. Company considered workers is valuable asses that gives more productivity. They
work with full potential and capacity so this will helpful for organisation growth and success.
Role of bargaining and negotiation process:
Bargaining and negotiation process play important role for this cited organisation
success, with the help of this procedure, company can easily solve all issues and disputes that
exist in organisation. Company provide positive working environment to their workers so
employee can feel comfortable to communicate ideas and thoughts in front of top level of
management. Employer and employee relationship helps for achieve better productivity and
profitability in near future. With the help of bargaining and negotiation process, Mark and
Spence establish various policies and procedures that helps for earn goodwill. Employer also
provide additional wages and salaries to their workers if they can work in ideal time. Negotiation
process play very important role for solve this issue or grievances, according to this method,
employer and employee both can sacrifice some part that help for met this conflicts.
Company establish better salary packages if their workers produce better quality products and
services to large number of potential customer.
3.2 Negotiation strategies and their impact
When company start recruitments and selection procedure then the beginning of
negotiation process. Organisation paid salary and wages to their worker according to their skill
and knowledge competence (Dörrenbächerand Geppert, 2011). Every company main aim is to
make large profits. It is responsibility of HR department to recruit potential individual so they get
better productivity and profitability in long run. Mark and Spencer has provided various
incentives and rewards to their workers so this build the motivation level of workers and give
best effort in order to attain goals and objectives in long run. Workers also interested to
participate in organisation activities and operation so this encourage their potential capacity.
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Maintaining secrecy: The negotiation and bargaining procedure helps to maintaining secrecy
factor in term of organisation policies and procedures. Manager provide various incentives and
rewards system as per performance of worker this helps to maintain strong relationship between
them.
Avoid trade union conflicts: This procedure also avoid trade union conflict in organisation.
Company made positiver working environment to their large number of workers so employee
can feel comfortable to participate in communication process with top level of management.
They also focus to provide equal employment opportunities to workers this helps to reduce
unemployment condition that exist in country.
Improve work quality: With the help of negotiation factor worker can perform their work with
full efficiency and effectiveness. Company must follow various employment legislation act, that
describe every organisation has not allowed to terminate their worker on the basis of
discrimination factor, includes caste, creed, religion, culture, sex and other elements.
Collective agreement: Company entered the contacts that are enforceable by law and
legislation. Employees and trade union are entered into this collective agreement. Unions has
right to protect the interest of their member and provide various facilities and perquisites that
helps for increase performance level of worker.
Community relationship: Trade union also focus for work of welfare of society. They identify
need and want of customer according to this factor, it establish goods and deliver services.
TASK 4
4.1 Assess the influence of the EU on industrial democracy in the UK
Employee roles and responsibility, their decision power capacity are all include in
industrial democracy. This concepts not applicable for British companies because where the
employer and employee relationship are aggressive in nature. Employee has take part in decision
making process of organisation with the help of employee legislation programme. Company
provide positive working environment so it can help for worker to perform activities with full
efficiency and effectiveness.
EU influence in UK business; Most of the UK business are much affected to EU factor. Laws
and legislation rule are imposed by EU, they can right to take part in decision making process of
company. EU has play important role to maintain healthy relationship with their client of
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company. EU has adopt negotiation process that helps for activities of business in term of
expense and taxation, laws and regulation, grants and levies business practices.
Decision making process: If EU is present in economy, then company workers has largely
participate in decision making process. Employer has allocated leader in different department of
enterprise, this motivators helps for their worker to increase their performance level with
motivation grant. the main threat imposed by EU is increase the wage dump resource. EU has
made various policies and provision that helps to provide health benefits part, safety measure and
equality at work. Various laws and legislation are made by EU in country. They also provide
various rights and duties of UK government. EU helps to solve various issues and conflicts that
exist in company and also providing positive working environment that help to increase
performance level of employees. Workers are learn new skills and knowledge for that business
environment so they give best effort in order to attain goals and objectives in near future. They
also right to take decision relate to promotion and transfer of their worker. EU has established
various laws and legislation procedures, these are follows:
 Working time of employees
 Holidays such as maternity leaves medical leave, any other disorder due to serious
accident
 Provide equal opportunities to all workers and establish welfare programmes
4.2 Methods to gain employee participation and involvement in decision making process
Company provide various task to their workers this help to attain goals and objective in
short duration of period. There are various method that helps to making decision process, these
area s follows:
Give position at board level: In organisation hierarchy one worker is placed on top level
management seat. It is duty of manager to take various issues and problems in front of board
member that helps to resolving it. Mark and Spencer recruit the qualified personnel in their
organisation that helps to gain better productivity and profitability in long run (Welch 2011).
Give part in ownership: This technique is most important for every organisation. Company also
provide their profit element to worker so employee can perform better with full efficiency and
capacity, this helps for to attain company goals and objectives in near future.
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Participation through collective bargaining: Government has made various rules and
regulation this helps for employees to largely participate in collective bargaining and negotiation
process. this also helps to resolve various issues and grievances in short duration of time.
participation through complete control: Sometime worker are not able to participate in decision
making process so they cannot manage all business operation and activities. Manager has right to
complete control to their workers so they can complete those task on given time period.
Suggestion scheme: Company also establish positive working environment in their organisation
so worker can feel comfortable to work with full efficiency and effectiveness. Management has
provided various incentive and reward scheme to their workers so this helps for employee to
complete their task with full efficiency and effectiveness. If company are properly implemented
this concepts then it encourage the motivation level of workers to perform better work in near
future.
Participation through job enrichment: Company has responsibility to made their environment
friendly then they will feel the importance in organisation. Sometime company has not able to
participate in decision making process regularly, but they give power and responsibility to their
worker.
Quality circle: Sometime it is necessary for company to choose various experts that are
specialised in particular field, this makes troubles in decision. If company has promote their
employee at low level of position to high level of position then it increase the motivation level of
employee and build their confidence level.
4.3 Impact human resource management approach has on employee relation
Industries has adopted the Harvard map, with the help of this approach, employers are
easily deal wit their workers in organisation. This concept states that company has considered
employee is valuable resource that helps for gain their productivity and profitability in long run.
Manager has firstly identify the goals and objective of worker then according to this want they
work for fulfilling this demand. According to this procedure, company management need top
targeted four areas such as human resource flow, reward scheme, work system and employee
influence. this method helps to resolve all issues and grievances that arise between organisation.
But Michigan school of business are not adopted this Harvard model. This business
model states that company has provide equal employment opportunities to their workers and give
fair treatment to all workforce. Company has maintain their workforce just like as raw material.
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Sometime this method created criticism factor so cited company are not adopted this approach.
Employer has raise issues giant worker performance, so this adverse affect the organisation
productivity and growth. HRM Practises also helps to maintain the relationship between
employer and employee. With the help of HRM practices, employer can solve various issues and
conflicts that exist in organisation. Company also encourage the worker for involvement in
organisation strategies so this helps for proper understanding level of worker in term of company
policies and procedures. through HRM practices manager has created discipline environemnt in
workplace.
CONCLUSION
From above report, it can be concluded that employee relationship is most important for
gain organisation productivity and profitability. It is necessary for every company to maintain
strong relationship between employer and employee. Today trade union is not much importance
because company has open HR department that help to recruit potential candidate in their
organisation. By this method they resolve various grievances and conflict that exist in
organisation. Company has use various method that helps for removing conflicts in organisation.
HR Practices play important role to maintain the relationship between employers and employee.
They also helps for increase motivation and inspiration level of worker that helps for resolving
issues and problems. It can be concluded that human resource management play important role
for achieve organisation productivity and growth in long run. They also reduce the employee
turnover problem, absenteeism problem which leads to low profitability.
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Online
Employee relations: an introduction. 2017. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/employees/
factsheet>. [Accessed on 19 AUGUST 2017].
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